Circle of Life
by Legendary Biologist
Summary: [GGAM - U] A Fugamon appeared in human world. Brandon fought it back, unbeknownst to him that its appearance was caused by the overpopulation of Digital World. Meanwhile, Omegamon of the Royal Knights set off to eradicate the bearers of X-Antibody, who were ignorant to the fact that they caused the overpopulation. DISCONTINUED. Will be reworked into another story.
1. Dimension Breach

**CIRCLE OF LIFE**

 **A/N: Part of _Unclassified_ series, a sub-series of _Gungrave: Aftermath_ consisting of unrelated fics that take place in Aftermath-verse. Set after _The Hellhound of Billion_.**

 **The Digimon universe is inspired by X-Evolution movie, while the world is based on Digimon World (PSX) game.**

 **All disclaimers apply.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Dimension Breach**

The hazy whiteness swooped in like a whale moving to swallow a school of tiny sea animals. The nearby cars, buildings, and street lights disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"We'd better wait until the fog is gone," Albert remarked, holding the steering wheel. "But honestly, I do think that it's weird for a city to be this foggy."

"I-is it safe to wait here?" Mika, sitting in Brandon's lap with a grocery bag in her hands, asked.

Brandon patted her head. When she looked at him, he nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. She mustn't forget that her "daddy" was there to protect her from anything; he might have lost an eye, an arm, and a leg, but with a prosthetic leg attached, he could fight as though he hadn't lost anything.

"I have a feeling that it's something more dangerous than a hellhound, Brandon!"

Without saying anything, he took one of his Cerberus - his trusty pair of .59 caliber handguns - from under the driver's seat. Worry still plagued Mika's face, but she decided to move away with the grocery bag. Like usual, his fourteen-year-old adoptive child already knew what he wanted to do through his gestures alone.

"Stay here, Albert," he said as he opened the car door and stepped out, "and keep an eye on Mika."

"Yes, Sir."

Door slammed shut, he began walking along the misty street. Then he noticed something off. The fog, despite wrapping itself around him like a blanket, neither felt cold nor left water droplets on his greatcoat. If only a reanimated corpse could smell...

From somewhere amid the fog, a man screamed, "A mons-" before a crash cut him off.

Rapid footsteps and screeching of wheels echoed across the street. Rushing towards the source of the noise, Brandon wondered what that meant. People in this town called him, a reanimated corpse, a "monster." Perhaps someone had fiddled with that forbidden technology again and unleashed the monstrosity in the town.

His assumption was wrong. The "monster" turned out to be a horned ogre wearing a loincloth made out of a tiger's skin. Blood stained its spiked bone club.

As it chased the fleeing motorbikes and cars, Brandon fired at its right leg and stopped it in its tracks. Radiant red particles hovered around the wound. Brandon's eye widened at this; the monster was not a product of this world.

The ogre turned around, revealing the shiny fangs around its perpetually open mouth. Brandon could see an enthusiastic smile behind its wince; it looked as though it had found a worthy foe and was eager to fight him.

Brandon ran towards it while firing Cerberus, destroying the ogre's horns and metallic bracelet before the monster jumped. As he readjusted his aim, the ogre swung its club and knocked the weapon out of his hand.

He knew this would happen anyway. A gunslinger should never stand too close to his foe, but he thought he'd better keep Albert's and Mika's presence hidden from this thing. Moreover, it wasn't like a fistfight would kill him. He had fought in hundreds of street brawls before learning how to use firearms after all.

The monster brought its club down. Brandon jumped aside, dodged the earth-shattering blow, and leaped into the air. Before the ogre could lift its weapon, he landed his sound foot on its unprotected wrist. The ogre howled as the club slipped out of its limp right hand.

Brandon ran to seize the club. Once he picked it up, he whirled and smacked the ogre's incoming hand away. Desperate, the monster moved to chomp him down, only to earn a hammering blow to its forehead. As it fell back, Brandon bashed it until its body flickered like a broken lamp.

 _What is this?_

Once the ogre's body hit the ground, it exploded into dust. The surrounding mist vanished a few seconds later.

Whatever this thing was, Brandon figured he'd better bring the bone club to the research facility. Perhaps Millennion's scientists would find something. What he wanted to know was just whether this came from another world or not, because if it were, something worse than this ogre existed.

After tucking the club in his belt and retrieving Cerberus, he walked back to his car.

Mika greeted him with a worried face while opening the car door for him. "Brandon, you okay?"

As he smiled and nodded, Albert asked, "What have you just killed, Sir?" When Brandon pointed at the bone club, he replied, "A caveman?"

"Sort of." Brandon entered the car and sat beside Mika. "We should bring this to the research facility."

* * *

Digital World and its inhabitants - Digimon - had existed since the town of Billion used a supercomputer for the first time. Yggdrasil governed it, launching Program X to eliminate 99% of its inhabitants whenever the world showed signs of instability due to overpopulation. Most Digimon hated this program, yet Yggdrasil, along with His fellow Royal Knights, believed that only this could maintain the balance of Digital World.

This time, though, the program hadn't started.

"As long as X-Antibody Digimon exist, our Lord won't launch Program X," Magnamon explained.

"Even if portals to human world have started to appear?" Omegamon questioned, raising his voice. "A Digimon has even traveled through one of them."

"The problem is, Program X cannot eliminate X-Antibody Digimon," Magnamon answered, looking down at the glowing green lines under his feet. "Instead, it may just spawn more of those Digimon. They develop the antibody to adapt to the program after all."

"I, Dukemon, do wonder if it is finally the time for us Digimon to co-exist with humans," Dukemon said, arms folded over his armored chest. "The problem can perhaps be solved if Lord Yggdrasil allows some Digimon to live in human world."

Omegamon stared at Dukemon. "Living with humans? Have you ever known how Billion is? Mafia organizations rule the town. Humans resurrect the dead to fight for them. Imagine if we Digimon exist there. Do you not think that they will use us as some expendable warriors?"

"There is nothing wrong with giving it a try. Besides, I, Dukemon, do not think that Billion is as terrible as that."

"Digimon can never co-exist with humans, especially the inhabitants of Billion!"

"Aside from the possibility of us becoming slaves for humans, we have to remember that we are the Royal Knights," Magnamon added. "Yggdrasil created us to help him protect Digital World."

"You hear that, Dukemon." A broadsword emerged from the armored dragon's mouth on Omegamon's right hand. "Now, I shall carry out my duty as a Royal Knight." He walked towards a glowing portal at the end of a radiant line.

* * *

Plop!

Dorumon woke up at the wet sensation on his snout; earthy scent filled his senses once he gained his focus. The foliage above him rustled in the strong wind. Blinding streaks of white forked across the clumps of black clouds in the sky. Plotmon and Gotsumon, whom he last saw laughing and chasing each other around the meadow, had begun running towards their house in the distance.

Dorumon turned to Tokomon, who was sleeping beside him.

"Tokomon." He patted the ball-shaped Baby Digimon. "It's raining."

Tokomon got up and yawned.

"Come." Dorumon turned around, allowing Tokomon to hop onto his back.

Dorumon had always carried Tokomon everywhere, since he believed that bigger Digimon had to help the smaller ones. Tokomon, being a Baby Digimon, could only hop around instead of walking since his legs were too small. He couldn't possibly reach the house before the rain poured down on him.

As Dorumon ran, more and more liquid darts came down and pelted him. Luckily, the massive box-shaped house loomed just a few feet away. Garudamon stood on the rooftop, looking left and right with her totem pole ready.

Dorumon smiled as he dashed into the house; images of how he first met the bird woman flashed across his mind. When he tried to get some fish from a nearby lake, three Dokunemon attacked him for his X-Antibody. Those green worms played dirty; they stabbed him in the back with their poisonous tails when he was still fishing. If Garudamon hadn't intervened, those Digimon must have killed him and stolen his antibody.

He was really fortunate to have met Garudamon. She had not only protected him, but also introduced him to other X-Antibody Digimon. Finding food became easy with some friends. First, Garudamon would scout Native Forest and tell them where to find a good fishing spot or a Digimushroom patch. Then during the foraging trip, Plotmon would stun their enemies with her barks while Gotsumon would hail them with rocks, giving him and Tokomon the time to gather as much food as possible. When it rained, though, or when the food was located at dangerous places, the big ones like MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon would do the foraging.

Once inside the house, Tokomon jumped off Dorumon's back and hopped towards MetalGreymon. Plotmon and Gotsumon sat surrounding the armored dinosaur, forming a circle.

Gotsumon grinned at Dorumon, who was shaking the water off his fur. "You're late, bro."

"Not really. We're just about to choose our topic." MetalGreymon waved his metallic left arm at Dorumon. "Take a seat."

Dorumon nodded and filled the space between Tokomon and Gotsumon.

"All right, kids," MetalGreymon began. "What do you want to know about Digital World?"

Gotsumon raised its hand. "About Great Canyon! I want to know more about the invisible bridge!"

"Why not about Misty Trees?" Plotmon suggested. "Rumor says that you can get turned to stone there."

Dorumon only nodded, ready to accept MetalGreymon's decision. Afraid of those who hungered for his antibody, he had never gone too far from File City, the haven for X-Antibody Digimon. It was kind of funny - and even embarrassing - since most Child Digimon knew a place other than Native Forest and Dragon Eye Lake.

"Well, I'll start with Great Canyon first." MetalGreymon smiled. "Great Canyon is a canyon with a very dry and hot weather. It is very far from File City. One can reach that place by either going through Freezeland or Tropical Jungle."

"Heard that you have to cross that bridge if you go through Tropical Jungle. Is it true?" Gotsumon asked.

MetalGreymon nodded. "The bridge will lead you to Monochromon's shop." He grinned. "The owner is a nice fellow. You can negotiate the-"

"MetalGreymon!" The scream came along with the scamper of two legs. A few seconds later, WereGarurumon came in.

"WereGarurumon?" MetalGreymon stood up. "Where's the food?"

"Stop thinking about food!" WereGarurumon snapped. "Evacuate all the kids and run!"

"We're under attack, eh?" MetalGreymon ran past the blue werewolf Digimon. "We've done a lot of skirmishes before. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"You fool." WereGarurumon snarled, seizing MetalGreymon by his tail. "Our attacker is-"

A deafening crash came from above. When Dorumon looked up, the roof exploded into dust and allowed the drizzle to hit him. A white knight hovered in the dark sky, retracting his broadsword into the dragon's mouth attached to his left arm.

"Omegamon, you're such a disgrace!" MetalGreymon yelled. "You're a Royal Knight, a Digimon created to help Yggdrasil protect Digital World. And yet, you attack innocent Digimon."

"Quit it, MetalGreymon." WereGarurumon scooped up Plotmon and Tokomon. "Help these kids run."

"You bearers of X-Antibody are destroying the world and Lord Yggdrasil." The metallic wolf's mouth on Omegamon's right hand opened, and a gigantic cannon slid out of it. Pointing it at everybody beneath him, Omegamon said, "I have killed one of your friends. You are next."

Killed one of their friends? Dorumon gulped, surveying the area for signs of Garudamon... Then he spotted a broken totem pole outside the house. Tears brimmed in his eyes as the memories of his first meeting with the bird woman replayed in his mind.

"You killed Garudamon!" Dorumon looked up to see the muzzle of Omegamon's cannon glow with blue light. Grief and fury solidified in his throat as he gave the knight a death glare. "Metal Cannon!" An orb of iron bolted out of his mouth and towards Omegamon.

The cannonball bounced off Omegamon's armored body without leaving a single scratch. "Pathetic." The knight scoffed.

 _What should I do?_ Dorumon's legs grew so shaky that he ended up sitting on the floor, staring helplessly at Omegamon's glowing cannon.

"Dorumon!" MetalGreymon shouted from behind. "Get on!"

Dorumon looked back and saw MetalGreymon launching his retractable metallic arm at him. Now that he thought about it, he realized that he mustn't die to avenge Garudamon.

As the metallic hand approached him, he heard a thunderous, "Garuru Cannon!" from above.

"No!" Dorumon turned around and ran away, already knowing where Omegamon would shoot.

"Dorumon!" MetalGreymon called. "Where are you-"

A boom exploded behind him, and an unseen force sent him flying a few feet away. Upon landing, his body grazed against the grassy ground before coming to a stop, leaving a burning sensation upon his skin. When he regained his composure and looked back, he could only see a huge, seemingly bottomless crater.

"MetalGreymon..." Dorumon sobbed.

"So, you escaped."

Dorumon looked up to see Omegamon. "What has everybody done to you?" he cried out. "Why do you want to kill us?"

"A Child Digimon like you will never understand why." A broadsword slid out of the dragon's mouth on Omegamon's right hand with a menacing _shiiing_. "This time," he declared, gliding towards Dorumon, "I will make sure that you die here."

 _I don't want to die!_ Tears streaming out of his eyes, Dorumon ran towards the crater. Maybe he could hide there until Omegamon left. He only had to be alive to grow strong and fight back.

But what if the crater was a bottomless pit?

 _At least I won't get killed by a Royal Knight!_ Stopping at the edge of the crater, he closed his eyes. "You won't kill me, Omegamon!"

He jumped off.

* * *

 ** _Glossary:_**

 ** _JP - Dub_**

 **Baby - In-training**

 **Child - Rookie**

 **Dukemon - Gallantmon**

 **Omegamon - Omnimon**

 **Plotmon - Salamon**


	2. The Chase

**Chapter 2: The Chase**

Whenever Program X took place, Yggdrasil would transfer the selected 1% - consisting of Baby and Child Digimon - to His realm. Magnamon had always observed the chosen Digimon as they waited for the doomsday to pass; those kids, knowing nothing about the program, could only wonder why their guardian Adult, Perfect, and Ultimate Digimon had to remain at the world beneath. Then when they returned, they would search for their perished guardians, only to fail and move on, and grow. When it was the time for Program X again, Yggdrasil would choose new Baby and Child Digimon and leave the grown-ups to die.

Magnamon thought it wasn't right to leave those kids clueless about the vicious cycle.

Unfortunately, Yggdrasil believed that if they knew about it, they would pass the knowledge to the next generation before Program X deleted them. When the kids grew up, they would organize a resistance and find a way to destroy Him.

"That is why we have to get rid of the X-Antibody Digimon," Magnamon told Dukemon. "It seems like they know very little about Program X right now, so we had better make the first move."

"I, Dukemon, stand firm in my belief." Dukemon crossed his arms over his armored chest. "Digimon can co-exist with humans if given the chance, and that may be the best solution for the conflict."

"Perhaps, but Lord Yggdrasil always wants to play it safe. As His most trusted messenger, I will always trust His judgment and cannot allow that to happen."

"Stop arguing about that right now!" Omegamon's baritone voice echoed across the chamber.

Magnamon turned around. Omegamon stood before the portal at the end of a radiant line, anger brimming in his green eyes.

"An X-Antibody Digimon has escaped to Billion," he grumbled. "There is a portal underneath File City."

"Who?" Dukemon asked.

"Dorumon, a small beast dragon Digimon with a crystal on its forehead," Omegamon replied. "We cannot just head to human world and capture him, can we?"

"Indeed, our appearance will draw too much unwanted attention." Magnamon walked towards Omegamon. "Leave this to me. I will find a fitting Digimon for this task."

As he entered the portal, Omegamon reminded, "Be quick. Time in Billion may move more slowly than Digital World, but we cannot guarantee that things will be the same forever."

* * *

Being smaller and faster than the other Royal Knights, Magnamon often descended from Yggdrasil's realm to scout Digital World. With the information he had gathered for years, he knew who could catch Dorumon without drawing unwanted attention.

The best choice would be Igamon, a ninja who hid within the forest near Digimon Bridge. Igamon was not only as small as a Baby Digimon; he also could throw smoke bombs and clone himself. However, most Digimon claimed that his existence was a mere rumor.

If Magnamon could not find the elusive ninja, he would search Tropical Jungle for Vegimon. Although much slower than Igamon, the pitcher plant Digimon had stretchy vines and noxious breath in his arsenal. The negotiation might not be easy, though; Virus Digimon usually expected some kind of payment in return.

Gray clouds filled the sky, flashing and rumbling from time to time; a quick scan of his lustrous golden armor told Magnamon that it had yet to rain. Trees coated the region beneath, thick as the fur of the JungleMojyamon that lived there. Quickly but carefully, Magnamon maneuvered through the wild branches while scanning the surroundings. Finding no signs of Igamon, he flew towards a clearing right beside a massive bridge. Clumps of mud clung to his golden sabatons when he landed.

"Wooki wooki!" A JungleMojyamon ran to him with a smile. "It's Magnamon of the Royal Knights!"

"What brings you here, Sir?" another JungleMojyamon asked.

"I am searching for Igamon," Magnamon answered. "Do you see him around?"

"Nah, that guy is just a rumor." The furball snickered. "But who knows?"

Magnamon only nodded before crossing the bridge. Even if Igamon did not exist, at least he had made the effort to find him.

Across from the JungleMojyamon's residence, Magnamon only found Kunemon. The yellow worm munched on the shrubbery as though he hadn't eaten for months. _If he continues this way_ , Magnamon thought as he approached the gluttonous Digimon, _he will create a path to File City in_ _no time._ Splashes accompanied his heavy footsteps.

Kunemon whirled, wagging its spiked tail. "Who-" A shocked look overtook his face as he bowed. "Sorry, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Do you see Igamon around?"

Kunemon shook his head. "Isn't he just a rumor?"

"Everybody says the same thing," Magnamon replied, "but I insist on finding him."

"Trust me. Igamon does not exist." Kunemon turned around and resumed his feast. "I've been here for some time, but never saw him."

"Hmm..." Magnamon nodded, looking down. Both JungleMojyamon and Kunemon dwelt in the forest near Digimon Bridge; they must've seen Igamon at least once if he truly existed.

 _Maybe Igamon does not exist at all_ , Magnamon concluded, jumping into the air. _I had better seek Vegimon._

The golden knight glided across the bridge, his eyes scanning the verdant earth beneath. The JungleMojyamon he met earlier were gobbling the Big Berries on the shrubs. A group of Alraumon was standing still with their arms spread, trying to perform photosynthesis despite the almost non-existent sunlight.

 _Every Digimon wants and struggles to live_ , he thought as he glided across the sky. _Does X-Antibody appear in their body for the same reason?_

The mangrove region of Tropical Jungle came to his sight a few seconds later. Unlike the other portion of the forest, the terrain was brown in color due to them coming from the thick, fat roots of the mangrove. Magnamon could see a Betamon down there, surrounded by two other Betamon.

Noticing their hostile glare to each other, Magnamon gradually descended. A closer look at the surrounded Betamon answered his question about why they would fight each other; the green kite-shaped lizard had additional spikes and dorsal fins unlike its friends.

"You can't escape." The two Betamon crept closer to their mutant counterpart. "Now, give us-"

Tiny cracks of shock built up around the body of the mutant Betamon. "Electric Shock 185V!" The arches of electricity flew everywhere in a sweeping manner, zapping the incoming Betamon and reducing them to dust.

 _Give them what? X-Antibody?_ Magnamon accelerated and landed in front of the mutated Betamon. Interviewing the reptile might take some time, but he needed to confirm if everybody already knew a lot about X-Antibody and Program X.

"You're Magnamon!" Betamon smiled, briefly standing on his hindlegs to wave his forelegs.

Magnamon simply said, "Those two Betamon... What did they want from you?"

"They said I have something that can make them live longer."

"What is it?"

"I don't really know."

"Then how do they know that you have something special within your body?"

"Maybe it's because I didn't die when others did? I told those Betamon my story when they came back from the sky, and they didn't look happy."

 _They know less than I thought, but it does not matter. I must report this._ Magnamon nodded. "I see." As he jumped into the sky, he glanced at Betamon. As much as he wanted to kill the little reptile and destroy his X-Antibody, his mind told him not to. He needed a good publicity to talk Vegimon, a resident of Tropical Jungle, into hunting Dorumon.

"Thank you for sharing your story," he finally said. Then he rocketed away from the mangrove region.

A few minutes later, lush terrain appeared in his sight. Vegimon's green body would blend pretty easily to the environment, so Magnamon slowed down and descended slightly. Finding no signs of Vegimon, Magnamon decided to fly in circles.

Three laps later, he only found Yanmamon, Muchomon, and RedVegimon down there. However, he figured RedVegimon could do the task as well; the red pitcher plant was a ripened Vegimon after all. So he went down and approached the Digimon, his armored feet shuffling through the grass and twigs.

The creaks startled RedVegimon, who whirled and cast him a death glare. It didn't take long until his facial expression changed into a more welcoming one.

"Whoa, it's a Royal Knight! Good day, Sir!"

Magnamon nodded, a frown concealed by his golden helmet. Sometimes, he wished these Digimon could stop being so formal to him.

"I just planted something great. Wanna see?" RedVegimon asked.

"Sure," Magnamon replied, hoping that this would make the negotiation easier later.

"You'll love it." RedVegimon bounced away, waving his vine-like arm. "Follow me."

Magnamon complied.

RedVegimon led him to a small glade. A sprout resided there, water dripping off the tip of its tiny leaves. From what Magnamon heard, the plant came from the fruit of a RedVegimon, and when given enough water and time, it would grow into a Vegimon.

Perhaps this was a good time to start a negotiation; Magnamon had a feeling that RedVegimon didn't know so much about this sprout.

Before RedVegimon could speak, Magnamon asked, "Have you ever heard about Rain Plants?"

"What are those?"

"They are a type of plant that can create artificial rain." Magnamon pointed at the sprout. "You just need one to make your plant grow into a Vegimon in a minute."

With an enthusiastic smile, RedVegimon asked, "You know where to find 'em?"

"Will you do me a favor first?"

RedVegimon rubbed his vine-like arms against each other. "Why not?"

* * *

"Huh? You brought me this?" Dr. Douglas stared at the bone club in Brandon's hand, his jaw dropping in awe. "I thought this only exists in prehistoric era."

"He got it from some kind of caveman," Mika explained. Brandon nodded at her statement.

"Caveman?" Douglas blinked. "Well, wherever this came from, I'll do some research on it. It's such an unusual object."

In Millennion's research department, age never mattered; a young scientist like Douglas could have more respect than the old ones like Zach. Some said that Douglas' curiosity and chattiness drew the boss' attention quite easily.

Douglas reached out his hands. "Give me the bone club. I'll take it to the research chamber."

Brandon simply turned away and walked along the hallway of the lab.

"Come on," Douglas insisted, tailing him with Mika. "Let me carry it for you."

Brandon ignored the doctor. This bone club couldn't possibly weigh less than a few hundred kilograms; the ogre he fought earlier stood as tall as a street lamp and smashed everything effortlessly with this thing.

"Sir?" Douglas asked.

"Don't worry, Doc," Mika reassured. "He doesn't want you to break your arm."

"How heavy can a bone be anyway?"

Brandon halted and dropped the bone club. The object hit the ground with a loud thud and created a few cracks on the ceramic tile.

"Uh, I get it."

After picking up the bone, Brandon resumed the walk with his ears perked up. Strange things couldn't possibly happen in the lab, but it wouldn't hurt to remain alert all the time. Besides, Douglas and Mika were with him, and they needed his protection.

A steel double door loomed just a few feet away from him. The label "Main Research Chamber" lay on its polished surface. Brandon stopped in front of the door, allowing Douglas to unlock it.

Once the door opened, Brandon could see nothing but thick fog. "Leave this to me," Brandon suggested, stepping into the misty chamber with the bone club ready.

"Yes, Sir!"

The retreating footsteps told Brandon that Douglas had fled from the scene. However, he noticed that the sound came from the scamper of two legs instead of four. When he turned around, he saw Mika.

"I always feel safer with you," she said, walking to him while looking left and right.

Brandon only nodded, his face turning into a worried look. If he left Mika with Douglas, who would protect her when something happened out there? But if he let his child come with him, while he could protect her better, he wouldn't know how to counter a smart foe who would take her hostage in the fight.

As he went deeper into the chamber, he spotted the silhouette of a small creature streaking across the mist. It had a bushy tail like a fox, but since it ran on two legs instead of four, Brandon thought it was not an ordinary animal.

"What's that?" Mika asked.

The silhouette stopped in its tracks. Then it scurried.

Whatever it was, Brandon wouldn't take any risk. After tucking the bone club in his belt, he drew his gun and chased the fleeing creature.

They ended up at the corner of the chamber, where Brandon could finally see the creature clearly. It reminded him of the dragons he saw in Mika's storybooks - having claws and wings. However, this one had white and lilac fur instead of scales covering its body.

It looked at Brandon with its teary eyes.

Brandon's hand trembled. He never had the heart to shoot the young, but this dragon didn't belong to this world. Would it be safe to keep it around?

"Brandon, don't shoot!" Mika screamed, running past him and hugging the little dragon. "It's just a dragon puppy!"

"It d-doesn't..." Brandon's voice quivered, but he eventually mustered up the strength to declare, "It doesn't belong to this world!"

"A puppy is always innocent, you know?" Mika glared at him, only to earn an unpleasant growl from Brandon. "What about you?"

His gun slowly slipped out of his hand as he recalled what happened last year. The citizens of Billion shunned him because he was a reanimated corpse, an anomaly in this world as stated by some wise old men such as Richard Wong. Meanwhile, his strength and endurance always tempted Millennion's boss to use him as an expendable super soldier. If he had not met Mika, the girl who knew his true nature and always tried to explain about it to everybody, he would have long died.

 _Mika is a good judge of character,_ he concluded, smiling slightly and nodding at Mika. _  
_

Suddenly, a swirling portal of light opened up beside Mika and the dragon. As Brandon picked up his fallen gun, a red pitcher plant landed beside the two kids and wrapped its vine-like arms around them. Brandon took aim, but he quickly realized that his bullets might hit the kids.

"Brandon!" Mika cried out as she, the dragon, and the pitcher plant disappeared into the portal.

Teeth gritted, Brandon ran after them. Wherever he would end up at, he only had two things in mind: save Mika and kill that pitcher plant.

* * *

 ** _Glossary:_**

 ** _JP - Dub_**

 **Adult - Champion**

 **Perfect - Ultimate**

 **Ultimate - Mega**

 **Igamon - Ninjamon**

 **Vegimon/RedVegimon - Veggiemon/RedVeggiemon**


	3. Enter Digital World

**Chapter 3: Enter Digital World  
**

RedVegimon landed on the solid ground with a thud. Sporting a proud smile, he bounced up the slope while looking at the silhouette of a humanoid Digimon in the sky.

"Help!" the girl beside Dorumon screamed as her flailing legs hit RedVegimon's belly. The blows didn't even graze the plant Digimon.

 _She saved me from that scary giant_ , Dorumon thought, looking at the girl. Usually, he would scurry at the sight of an Adult Digimon, but... _No!_ _Go away!_ Dorumon bit into RedVegimon's tentacle arm, sending glowing red particles everywhere.

"You're such a bother. Oh, well." RedVegimon inhaled so deeply that Dorumon could feel like his head was going into the pitcher plant's mouth.

Green mist came along with a gust of wind, weakening Dorumon's grip on the plant Digimon. His stomach churned. A lump built up in his burning throat. It felt as though his snout had just hit a pile of dung.

"Brandon..." the girl's voice grew faint. "Help..." Then she spoke no more.

Dorumon dived in to bite RedVegimon's arm in a fit of rage, but he couldn't clamp his trembling jaw.

"Never mess around with a plant Digimon, kiddo." RedVegimon chuckled, continuing his journey up the crater. "Anyway, Sir Magnamon must be proud of me."

 _Sir Magnamon?_ Oh, no! RedVegimon was bringing him to a Royal Knight!

Dorumon really hoped that the one-eyed ogre earlier would come. The giant would certainly fight RedVegimon and Magnamon to save the girl, which would also give Dorumon the chance to flee. He did wish he could know the girl a little more before they were separated, though.

RedVegimon landed on the edge of the crater. "Sir Magnamon!" he called. "I've brought you-"

Bang!

"Huh?" Dorumon wondered out loud as he could no longer feel RedVegimon's tentacle arms around him. Standing with shaky legs, he inspected the surroundings. The unconscious girl now lay on the ground beside him. RedVegimon's limp body fell back into the crater before another gunshot resounded and the plant disintegrated into dust.

Behind where RedVegimon used to be, a gigantic human in a black greatcoat slowly clambered up the crater. Dorumon immediately pulled back at the sight of a massive gun in his only hand; for unknown reasons, he had a feeling that the giant would kill him next. As he tried to run, his legs gave in almost instantly. This reminded him of his experience with Dokunemon, whose poison weakened him just like this.

Several bangs echoed. Dorumon simply ducked and covered his tear-filled eyes with his paws. The angry giant was coming for him, undoubtedly.

"Miracle Glitter!" Magnamon roared from above.

A groan. Then the gunshots stopped.

Dorumon peeked through his claws. Teeth gritted, the giant staggered backwards with his only eye shut. When Dorumon turned around and looked at the sky, he couldn't find Magnamon. Was the Royal Knight hiding? Or had the ogre scared him off?

The ogre soon recuperated. After scanning the surroundings for a few seconds, he holstered his gun and approached Dorumon and the girl. Although Dorumon felt no sense of malice within the giant, he thought he'd better flee. His trembling legs sent him falling flat on his face, though.

"Are you scared?"

Dorumon gasped as he slowly looked back. The giant's golden eye emitted the same gentleness he usually saw from Garudamon, his heroine.

Dorumon nodded frantically.

"You shouldn't. My child is a good judge of character." The giant knelt in front of him, his gaze fixed at the girl. As he placed his fingers on the girl's neck, his eye widened. An unpleasant growl escaped through his gritted teeth.

"That plant breathed out poison gas!" Dorumon quickly explained, but the giant didn't reply. After a gulp, Dorumon added, "My friends know how to cure it! I was once poisoned like that." The ogre simply gave him a skeptical glare, which pushed him even further. "B-but I need help. My friends all ran into the forest when a Royal Knight attacked."

The grumpy-faced ogre grumbled, "Why did your friends leave you alone?"

"Because..." Dorumon murmured, tears trickling down his cheeks. Images of Omegamon's gargantuan cannon flashed across his eyes. "I ran away when they tried to save me. I was too scared."

The giant nodded and held the girl in his only arm. Standing up, he said, "Guide me with every single clue you have about them."

"Y-yes." As Dorumon tried to get up, his legs faltered and knocked him back down. _Oh, no..._

The ogre's face slowly turned into what Dorumon often saw from a concerned Garudamon. The giant turned around and crouched. "Get on. Hope your arms are still strong."

Dorumon couldn't help but gulp before crawling onto the ogre's back. However, shocked by the weird odor - a mixture of pungent herb and rotting meat - of the giant, he slipped. "S-sorry," he muttered as he climbed back up.

The giant nodded. With Dorumon's arms wrapped around his body, he set off.

* * *

The human killed RedVegimon, which was good. Humans who knew too much about Digital World would only cause problems, so a foolish Digimon who brought them here had to die before it committed another idiocy.

Magnamon first thought he could observe the humans from afar before persuading them to keep a secret about this world and go home; being frail creatures, they would certainly want to leave a monster-filled place such as Digital World ASAP. Yet when this white-haired giant appeared, Magnamon changed his mind. Although a few minutes had passed since the encounter, he could still feel how the ogre's bullets punched his armor and sent a shockwave throughout his body.

He arrived at a field of darkness, where Omegamon and Dukemon were chatting with each other. Yggdrasil's realm was never a place for dark Digimon, yet it barely had any source of light. If the green lines and the binary codes on all over its floor and wall hadn't glowed, one might have mistaken this place for the Dark Area of Digital World.

When he approached them, they turned. Omegamon quickly noticed the scratches on his golden armor and asked, "Some X-Antibody Digimon did it I presume?"

Magnamon shook his head, walking past Omegamon and Dukemon. "It was a human."

Both Omegamon and Dukemon exclaimed, "A human!"

"Allow me to report this to Lord Yggdrasil first," Magnamon said, approaching the massive portal of light at a dead-end path. "As you see, we are not dealing with an ordinary human. He is perhaps as strong as a Perfect Digimon."

"A Perfect Digimon?" Omegamon questioned. "Hmph, I doubt Lord Yggdrasil will let him get away."

The portal would lead to Yggdrasil's chamber, yet no Royal Knight had ever entered it. As He created them, He had implanted a command into everyone's heads: "Do not see Me face-to-face," and if they wished to contact Him, they had to relay the message to Magnamon, who would then contact Him via the messaging terminal near His chamber. However, Magnamon suspected that perhaps the mythical Alphamon, Yggdrasil's very first creation and Royal Knight, had the privilege to see their Lord.

Magnamon placed a palm on the wall beside the portal, summoning a white screen with black Digimon Alphabets - the Digimoji. A semitransparent keyboard appeared beneath it as a big "ENTER PASSWORD" appeared on the screen. Once Magnamon typed the password and pressed the enter button, it replied with, "USER AUTHORIZED. TYPE THE MESSAGE."

"From Magnamon to Yggdrasil,  
Greetings, my Lord. I am hereby to inform You that two humans have entered Digital World. One of them, however, is not like what You have told us. He is brave and strong, perhaps he is as strong as a Perfect Digimon. What would Your command be?"

A few minutes later, a beep resounded.

"From Yggdrasil to Magnamon,  
Greetings, my fellow Royal Knight. Study him for a few days. Try finding his reason of coming to Digital World, as it will make it easier to convince him to go back. For the time being, I shall accelerate the time flow of Digital World, so that humans can never fuss over their missing comrades before they return."

"From Magnamon to Yggdrasil,  
Yes, my Lord."

After logging off, Magnamon walked towards Dukemon and Omegamon.

"What is His command?" Dukemon asked.

Omegamon unsheathed his sword. "If He wants that human to die, I will gladly kill him."

"Lord Yggdrasil ordered us to study him before convincing him to go back."

Omegamon pointed at the scratches on Magnamon's armor. "Magnamon, I never doubt you and our Lord's order, but is it safe to let him roam this world?"

Omegamon's words actually tempted Magnamon to consult Yggdrasil again, but he quickly remembered the incident with RedVegimon earlier. Maybe if the plant Digimon hadn't brought the human girl along, that white-haired giant wouldn't have come. "Perhaps our Lord believes that harming him will only bring more humans to Digital World, which is why He prefers the peaceful way."

"I doubt I have the patience, so..." Omegamon looked at Dukemon.

Dukemon nodded before walking away. "Then allow me, Dukemon, to carry out His order."

"Also, I have spotted an X-Antibody Digimon at Tropical Jungle, Omegamon," Magnamon said. "Moreover, the Digimon there know quite a lot about X-Antibody. Maybe there are more X-Antibody Digimon around that region."

Omegamon nodded. "I will cleanse that place then."

* * *

Gray clouds concealed the sun. Leaves dropped off, swaying in the gentle breeze before landing on the ground. Under the canopy of trees, Brandon walked with Mika in his arm and Dorumon on his back, his boots turning brown due to the wet twigs beneath. Darn, how could he find Dorumon's friends if he could only see the same trees here and there?

 _I have to find them somehow._ He looked at the unconscious Mika, recalling how weak and fast her pulse was earlier. Her body heat, too, seemed to bypass his greatcoat and burn his skin. _I doubt Millennion doctors know the cure for this._

Splash!

Looking down, Brandon found out that he had just plunged his sound leg into a small puddle of brown water. Now, he had to find a source of clean water ASAP; else his skin would develop a rash and itch.

Hmm, puddles of water and wet twigs... He saw only gray clouds and no sunlight up there. It had just rained, hadn't it? Back when he still lived in the streets, whenever thugs surrounded his home, he would hide in the city sewer. That dark and damp place stank, but he'd rather endure the odor than expose himself to the rain and catch a cold. Dorumon's friends must have the same thought.

"Is there a shelter nearby?" Brandon asked.

"Yes," Dorumon replied. "There's a place called Drill Tunnel somewhere in the forest." Brandon raised an eyebrow, prompting Dorumon to add, "Some Drimogemon created the tunnel when they dug Mount Panorama."

It was simpler than he had thought. Looking up and around, he could see the silhouette of a mountain in the east.

"Eh?"

"Your friends should be in the tunnel," he told Dorumon.

"How did you know?"

He smiled, walking eastwards. "Where else will you go when it rains?"

"Wow, you're really clever, Mister!"

Clever? Brandon only grinned. When it came to surviving in the streets, or perhaps the wilderness, nobody could match him. Yet when it came to science and something similar, he believed even an elementary school kid who ranked the last in the class knew more than he did.

The gray clouds gradually cleared. Rays of sunlight pierced through the rustling leaves, which Brandon interpreted as a warning that the inhabitants of the forest might show up anytime soon. Fortunately, neither his eye nor his ears detect something suspicious nearby.

The surrounding vegetation became less and less. A few seconds later, Brandon found a forked path. A vast lake waited ahead, while to his right a mountain trail rested.

 _Almost there!_ Smiling, he turned right and ran along the path.

"Mister," Dorumon began, "you see that blooming flower on the bush over there? It can be a-"

"Poison Ivy!" a girl's roar came from behind him.

Something whizzed beneath him. He quickly jumped aside, dodging six outstretched vines.

Brandon turned around to see a plant kid with a blooming flower on her head. The huge cyan leaf on her back made him think of a child wearing a superhero costume.

"Palmon?" Dorumon asked.

"Let that Digimon go!" the plant kid demanded, shooting her vine-like claws at Brandon. He simply tilted his head to dodge the assault.

"Stop fighting!" Dorumon got off Brandon's back and crashed on the ground. "He's trying to help me find my friends!"

"That scary-looking giant said so?" Palmon sighed. "He may just be a Royal Knight in disguise."

Palmon had a problem with the Royal Knight, just like Dorumon? _She should be an ally then_ , Brandon thought.

Lying still on the ground, Dorumon yelled, "He's not! He scared off Magnamon and saved me!"

"Really?"

Dorumon nodded, slowly getting up. His entire body trembled as though the breeze chilled him to the core.

"You look sick," Palmon noted, her unfriendly glare turning into a concerned look.

"Poison." Dorumon pointed at Mika. "RedVegimon sprayed poison gas at us."

"I helped Dorumon find his friends because he said they know the cure," Brandon explained. "So, if you don't mind," he pleaded, "could you give us some directions to Drill Tunnel? This girl needs help."

Palmon looked at Brandon. "You look scary, but you don't feel like a Royal Knight."

Dorumon smiled. "That means-"

"Follow me." Palmon ran past Dorumon and Brandon. "I'll take you to Drill Tunnel. Don't worry. It's now a home for X-Antibody Digimon."


End file.
